Welcome — I’m Larissa Burak, founder of Apothecary Studios. From a young age, I’ve been enchanted by the unseen world and inspired by the deep interconnection between art, psychology, and spirituality. My childhood was rich with curiosity, guided by parents who nurtured my interests — especially my father, who introduced me to practices like lucid dreaming, meditation, and out-of-body exploration. These early experiences laid the foundation for a life devoted to both inner and creative discovery.

My artistic journey began with photography and earned me a BFA from SUNY Oneonta in 2009. I went on to intern at the Center for Photography at Woodstock, where I honed my vision and discovered a special reverence for 19th-century photographic processes. The magic and alchemy of the darkroom felt like a bridge between the physical and the metaphysical — a theme that continues to infuse all my work.

My path has taken me to some remarkable places: living in a teepee while learning wet plate collodion photography from John Coffer, and studying hand-coloring and bookmaking in a medieval villa in Benabbio, Tuscany. You can explore more of my photographic work on my personal website.

Alongside my artistic practice, I’ve also committed deeply to the study of consciousness and embodiment, earning my 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training Certification from Happy Buddha Yoga in Goshen, NY. These disciplines — both visual and spiritual — have continually informed one another in my life.

The Studios

In 2021, my partner Damon and I moved to the quiet village of Newbury, Vermont, where we found ourselves the stewards of a rambling folk Victorian home built in the mid-1800s by entrepreneur Thomas C. Keyes. This historic home once served as a country doctor’s office and contains a rich legacy of healing — a presence we both felt the moment we arrived. Nestled between the Green and White Mountains, it offered not just beauty and stillness, but also ample space to bring our creative visions to life.

The old apothecary room, once a place of physical healing, is now being transformed into a darkroom — the heart of Apothecary Studios. It is this bridge between old and new, seen and unseen, healing and creation, that inspires our name and our mission.

The Vision

Apothecary Studios is more than a workspace — it is a living container for creative expression, spiritual exploration, and community connection.

Rooted in values of beauty, rest, growth, and reverence for the sacred, our vision is to cultivate a space where people can return to themselves — through artistic practice, ritual, and shared wisdom. We host seasonal gatherings that honor ancestral traditions, workshops in photography and visual storytelling, and offerings in consciousness, metaphysics, and the healing arts taught by skilled practitioners.

We believe in slowness as a form of power, in the transformative potential of creativity, and in the strength of community-led learning. Our hope is that Apothecary Studios becomes a sanctuary — for artists, seekers, and anyone yearning to live more intentionally, authentically, and soulfully.

Whether you are drawn here for art, ceremony, or contemplation, we welcome you to this space and all that it may awaken within you.